Tag Archives: Franz Schubert

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul? 7/25/20

26 Sunday Jul 2020

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Salutations™!!

Yesterday had to be one of the weirdest days we’ve seen in the last bit and this is 2020 where everything is weird. Even the most usual of things. So, we get up and get going. Routine. We run over to Underdog Records and I have a field day with some classical.

You see, The BCPF and I have turned our Sundays (for the most part) into Classical Sunday. We listen to a lot of rock and folk and all that stuff during the week and then Sunday has become the “day of rest” and with that a little culture. You saw over the last few weeks we had gotten the “TimeLife – Great Men of Music” box sets from the 1970s for Guiseppi Verdi and Sergei Rachmaninoff. I have quite a few full sets of TimeLife collections on CD and now I’ve decided I want to find the full collection from this series  ~1975. I didn’t decide that until yesterday and you’ll see why in a little bit.

GunsnRosesUseYourIllusionII

©Geffen

But first, the rest of the reason why yesterday was one of the weirdest days. We got three new records and there were skips in the first song on the second side of two of them. Okay. While listening to the second of the three new ones, the power goes out. A car hit a pole or something the text from the power company said. It was out for about 90 minutes. Then it comes back on, we finish album number two, put on album number three and the power goes out again. This time a tree had fallen. So, we start looking into what to eat for dinner. The power comes on again.

We pick our place for dinner, order it, and go pick it up. We get it home and the entire order was wrong. Practically everything on the order was either the exact opposite of what we ordered or stuff that we hadn’t even said. So, we drove all the way back and the place was closed. But, a few forceful knocks and a masked smile got me in the door. They apologized profusely and remade my order. They even threw in a few extras. They were nice. I will go back (of course).

So, that was the weird day we had. Here’s the weird haul we got:

  • R.E.M. – Out Of Time — The BCPF has been looking for this one. Jonathan ordered it special for us and here it is. This one has “Shiny Happy People” and the song that really broke them mainstream, “Losing My Religion.” New.
  • Guns N’ Roses – Use Your Illusion II — Jonathan special ordered me this one. I like a lot of aspects about this one but upon listening to it yesterday (including the power outage), I realized that it doesn’t have the same oomph that Use Your Illusion I had. But, there is a caveat for me. The “filler” songs on this one are better than on I. The main meat of I was better but the peripheral songs on II were better, in my opinion. I used to like the “alternate” lyrics for “Don’t Cry” (and I still do) but realized over the last few weeks that the “original” is the better version. 2xLP. New.
  • P J Harvey – Dry — She is a strong and powerful woman and it shows in her music. This is a reissue of her debut album from 1991. This one I have to take back as B1, which was one of the main reasons why The BCPF wanted this, skipped all the way through. It knocked around 30 seconds off the song, I’d say. I examined it and can see little nicks and imperfections. We bought it new, too. Jonathan has another one held for me and we’ll exchange it. But, I really enjoyed listening to all but B1 and part of B2. New.

So, from here on in, it’s all classical, all the time. The first isn’t part of the TimeLife (TL) series but what follows is many Sundays of listening pleasure. Now, being the completist I am, I have to find the ones I’m missing. Dang it, whomever you are that unloaded your entire TL collection on Jonathan this week! Each of the “Great Men of Music” series are 4xLP and I list their grading. Here we go:

So, there you have it! Now, I only have about 20 more to go! I don’t know how many there are. I need to look that up. But, Underdog Records was jumping yesterday. Good crowd (still only five allowed in at a time – okay seven yesterday but people were checking out). I love seeing it that way. It reminds me of the “old” days. Maybe we’ll get back to the TLD/UR specials of the week and playing songs on TLD again. Check out the Underdog Records social media for the latest finds that can be yours. Jonathan still does deliveries during the early part of the week and will ship unlimited records for $4. Also, I use Discogs to keep up with this crazy collection of mine!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Whaz so civil ’bout war anyway?” – “Civil War” (Rose/Slash/McKagen)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul(s) 7/3-4/20

05 Sunday Jul 2020

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Salutations™!!

The BCPF and I both took Friday off, so we treated it like a “first Saturday.” We did the things we do for Saturday. We had breakfast/brunch/lunch, went to Underdog Records then came home and listened to what we got. We repeated the process on the actual Saturday, too, although that wasn’t the plan. Anywhat! Here’s the two-day haul (and a note that all these releases are “new”):

The_Waterboys_Album_cover

©Chrysalis/Island

  • Nirvana – In Utero (2013 Mix) — I’ve had a tumultuous relationship with Nirvana. But, most of my disdain has passed and I am more on the “appreciate” side of them, now. This is the 20th-anniversary remix of the album from 2013. But, this is also a reissue of that version. 2xLP.
  • Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot — #493 on the RS list, it’s one of The BCPF’s faves. “Heavy Metal Drummer” was put on a mix CD for me when we were both just friends. I like that they mention KISS throughout and that Mediocre Bad Guys covered it. The buildings on the front cover make up Marina City in Chicago. When we were in Chicago last we stayed at the Hotel Chicago which is directly behind Marina City, part of the complex itself. It was something out of Mad Men but elegant. It was definitely a weird stay but we enjoyed it. Not quite as much as we enjoyed the Sofitel but that was one of the nicest hotel rooms we’ve ever had. 2xLP.
  • Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombones — I liked this one better than I liked the other we got from Mr. Waits this weekend. I know it’s his schtick. I know it’s his gimmick. But, I really dislike it when he gets the most grumble for his buck in his voice. He actually sings in a regular tone and timbre for some of the songs. When he does that, his voice actually comes through. He sounds like he’s faking it at times when he grumbles. But, his piano playing is fantastic. I love that part (of both albums).
  • Tom Waits – Heartattack And Vine — Ditto everything I said on the previous entry.
  • The Mothers Of Invention – Weasels Ripped My Flesh — I have been trying to at least understand Zappa better. This credited to The Mothers of Invention but only so because of the live material. The studio stuff was Zappa solo, as the Mothers had disbanded two albums prior. I have tried to take the approach to Zappa as the fact that he was a talented jazz musician that liked take the idea of jazz to the far extreme boundaries of the genre. Sometimes it’s beautiful. Other times it is anything but. This, well it just is.
  • The Waterboys – The Waterboys — The debut album from this Edinburgh-based band. While not on this album, their biggest hit was probably “The Whole of the Moon.” I hear a lot of Doug Davis (yes that Doug Davis) on this. Not that he was on it, but I hear some influence on it. I know that he’s a fan of the band. It was a great listen.
  • The Mountain Goats – We Shall All Be Healed — The brainchild of John Darnielle, the award-winning author and musician, The Mountain Goats, again, is a favorite of The BCPF. He’s funny, witty, and a good musician. I get kind of tired of everything sounding the same but again, the content makes up for that.
  • Nina Simone – My Baby Just Cares For Me — This is the Nina Simone album that I mentioned last week that we got two weeks ago. It finally made it to Discogs so I could include it. It was a great record and we really enjoyed it.
  • Madonna – Madame X — Madge’s latest album, released Summer 2019. A lot of electropop and a mixture of activism/connected and Madonna pop sensibilities. Not a bad record. I got it brand new from the clearance bin. Was regularly $30+ but I got it for $16. Win!
  • Schubert / The Budapest Quartet – The Last Quartets — This is technically “new” because it is still sealed and never opened. Jonathan had it in the “used” bins. It was supposed to be purchased on Friday but we accidentally left it in the bin instead of grabbing it. We got it yesterday. 3xLP of Schubert. Yes.

For the next selections, these are all “imports.” Most are “unofficial” releases which, to me, anyway, could mean “bootleg.” But, they were sold to Jonathan through a distributor, so I don’t know. Anywhat! All are “new.” Here we go.

  • Pink Floyd – Live In NYC 1977 — I love Pink Floyd. They hover around the 5-8 spot on my “all-time favorite” list. This is basically Wish You Were Here live. The sound quality is awful as is the performance, but it’s cool to hear it. I didn’t mind the fact that they didn’t recreate the album, they interpreted their own album. Clear “coke bottle” vinyl.
  • Echo & The Bunnymen – BBC Recordings 1979-1980 — I didn’t know E&BM went back that far, but they did. When I heard these songs yesterday, I thought it was U2, but it’s not. U2 has been around since 1976, I didn’t know that, either. Still, the fact that this album sounded like Boy or October is a good thing, as I like everything U2 up until Zooropa. Not my fave by any means. This was a great listen and makes me love that era of the “first wave” even more. We need more of this.
  • Pixies – Into The White- BBC Recordings From 1988 And 1989 — Everything that I said about Mothers of Invention earlier? Well, multiply that by about 20. I like Pixies in the studio. Live, they get weird. I have a hard time taking them seriously, but I try.
  • Brian Eno – The BBC Sessions — I am a fan of Brian Eno. At least I think I am. One thing the BBC Sessions always tell me is that people get weird (or weirder in Eno’s case) when they step into the BBC Studios. Now, to be fair, we haven’t listened to this one, yet. So, it may not be weird. I am just preparing for it to be.

A big haul, for sure. Bigger than most, recently. Good stuff. A lot of listening time. Jonathan has Underdog Records, the brick-and-mortar, open Thursday through Saturday 11-7, and doing deliveries on Mondays, Tuesday, and Wednesday as long as weather permits. Watch Instagram and Facebook for what he’s putting out, be it new or used. You can shop for new vinyl anytime, day or night, by visiting the website. I use Discogs to keep track of my collection and you should, too!

Until tomorrow, keep spinnin’…
Scorp out!

—
“Well, the eggs chase the bacon round the fryin’ pan and the whinin’ dog pidgeons by the steeple bell-rope. And the dogs tipped the garbage pails over last night. And there’s always construction work bothering you. In the neighborhood.” – “In the Neighborhood” (Waits)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 8/4/18

05 Sunday Aug 2018

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Salutations™!!

At Underdog Records yesterday, I was able to finally, once and for all, tackle a certain Beatles problem that I have had over the last few years. You’ll find out about it in this haul:

BruceWillis_-_ReturnOfBruno

©Motown

  • The Beatles – Rubber Soul — So, I have been burned (by my own self) over and over finding this on vinyl. Either it’s just a really sucky copy (usually with tape around the sleeve to keep it from falling apart and really scratchy vinyl) or I find a really good copy and it turns out to be the American version. And, to be honest, I hate the American versions of Beatles albums. Mainly, it’s just not what I’m used to. I have the entire Beatles catalog on CD in a box set and that’s the UK versions, to me, the real versions. So, I bought it brand new to finally kill the frustration. Now, the caveat here is that this is in mono. I don’t know how I feel about that, yet. I know the general consensus of folks when comparing the two, agree that the mono versions are probably more in tune with what they were trying to do. I will reserve judgment on that until I listen. All that being said, I finally have finished the Top 10 of the RS list as this sits at #5. Now, I only have 4 more to before the Top 25 is finished. I am sitting at 199 of the 500 on vinyl, right now.
  • The Clientele – Suburban Light — The BCPF loved the other album by The Clientele so she wanted to give this one a try. Sure enough, she loved it, too. I dug it also. New.
  • Coldplay – X&Y — Not my favorite Coldplay album (we know that’s Parachutes) but this 2xLP was there in “like new” condition for about half the cost so I couldn’t pass it up. This is where they started to lose me but I find that when I revisit, usually I can change my mind. We’ll see. NM+.
  • Pavement – Wowee Zowee — It’s weird that Pavement is a The BCPF band. It seems, all at once, to be totally against everything you’d think she’d like and totally everything she likes in one package. I don’t know how I feel about them, and there is another Pavement album we have to get because of the RS list, but this wasn’t on it. VG+.
  • The Autumn Defense – The Green Hour — Another that The BCPF really wanted. This was a past “Record Store Day” selection and one of only 500 pressed in the world, so it’s rare. We couldn’t pass it up. VG++.
  • Emmylou Harris – Blue Kentucky Girl — Not my favorite from Ms. Harris. I did get a little nostalgia because it reminded me of Ma Père listening to his records, even though he didn’t do that a lot. He didn’t play Emmylou but definitely this style. But, The BCPF wanted it and well, she gets what she wants (when I can help it). VG+.
  • Supertramp – Paris — A 2xLP live album from Supertramp’s Breakfast in America tour with minimal overdubs – or so they say. I hate they left off “Give a Little Bit” and “Goodbye Stranger” but it seems like the rest of the set is pretty sound. The reason for “Give a Little Bit” was that all the versions over several shows were awful. It was re-released in the CD/DVD anniversary edition of Breakfast… This was in VG+ condition.
  • Randy Newman – Good Old Boys — #394 on the RS list. This means that I have all of the RS entries for Randy Newman. I like him a lot. I always thought of him as a novelty act because a lot of his stuff is novelty-type songs, at least what I had always heard. But, he really digs in. I couldn’t get over the audacity of the song “Rednecks” but realized pretty quickly that it was not sensationalizing racism but actually mocking it. Still… even Newman felt weird performing it. VG+.
  • Bruce Willis – The Return Of Bruno — Yes, Bruce Willis, who I think has a decent voice and can play a mean harmonica. As I stated on social media with several people agreeing with me, it’s not a great album, it’s not a classic, it’s not a masterpiece. But, it is a decent album and it’s very entertaining. I know I had it on cassette when it came out, following the “mockumentary” that it accompanied, I may have it on CD, but I’m not certain. But, I enjoyed it and saw it and couldn’t pass it up.
  • INXS – INXS — INXS’ debut album and it’s not at all what I expected. It’s very new wavey and poppy and I loved it. At times Michael Hutchence’s voiced sounded like Tim Curry, but I also dig Tim Curry, so that’s great. It was more synth-driven and I had never heard any of the songs, that I knew of. It was a record company promo with a sticker on the front cover with checkboxes for “recommended selections.” Nothing had been checked. I found this in the $1 bin, but I’d still rate it around VG+ because it was in really good condition.
  • Eddie Cantor, Bert Williams, Van And Schenck, John Steel, Irving Berlin – Ziegfeld Follies Of 1919 —  A very entertaining recording (and accompanying booklet) of the famous Ziegfeld Follies vaudeville-like theatrical revue put on by Florenz Ziegfeld. And, did you know that Ziegfeld was married to Billie Burke? That’s right, he was married to Glinda, the Good Witch. This was a really great listen and it was a $1 bin find. VG/VG+.
  • The Melachrino Orchestra – Paris, The Sounds, The Sights — Another $1 bin find in which there is an accompanying booklet. This is about our beloved city of Paris and includes a guide to the sights and attractions of the City of Light, from 1956. We can’t wait to listen. VG.
  • Franz Schubert, Karl Böhm, Berliner Philharmoniker – Symphonies — A 5xLP collection of Schubert symphonies including Symphonie Nrs. 1-6, 8, 9 and “Rosamunde” which was written for the play Rosamunde, Fürstin von Zypern, by Helmina von Chézy. It was a $1 bin find but I believe the vinyl is VG+.

A decent haul this week, I think. Jonathan had just returned from a short sabbatical to Atlanta with his dad and he seemed a bit more recharged. A happy Jonathan means a happy Underdog Records. Speaking of Underdog and Atlanta… even though I hate the Atlanta Braves, it’s Jonathan’s favorite team. When the Braves complete a sweep of a series (which hasn’t happened a lot this year), there’s a “sweep sale” at Underdog Records. That can mean a variety of things so I recommend you watch their social media to see what that may be. Plus, the social media platforms is the best place to keep track of new arrivals to the store. Be the first to know and try to “Beat Beeman.” That is apparently a thing. Also, listen to The Less Desirables each week to hear the TLD/UDR special of the week.

And, when I’m there since my collection has grown, I can always cross-reference my collection to make sure I’m not doubling up on anything by using Discogs. I keep better track of my collection, my purchases and as was the case this week, let others track my collection to see if there’s anything to trade. Now, for the record, I don’t get rid of much but if it’s something I absolutely need, I may consider it.

Until tomorrow, keep spinning…
Scorp out!

—
“She’s a rounder I can tell you that. She can sing ’em all night, too. She’ll raise hell about the sleep she lost, but even cowgirls get the blues.” – “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” (Crowell)

Silent Sunday or: The Haul 11/25/17

26 Sunday Nov 2017

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Salutations™!!Harvest_-_neil_young

This week’s edition is the Record Store Day-Black Friday (RSD) edition. But, it’s also the Small Business Saturday edition. Yes, The BCPF and I went to Underdog Records both days. The haul was less in terms of quantity but more in cost because it was new stuff that we were purchasing. There was one new release that hasn’t found its way onto Discogs, yet, so I’ll put it on here when it becomes available. I have three others that I have to put in myself and I’m hoping that I don’t have to do that with this one. Enough about that, let’s get on with it.

There were some really good things in there. We listened to a lot of things and, even the Stevie Wonder album was decent. Jonathan had warned us that it was awful. It wasn’t awful. Wasn’t great, either. But, we really enjoyed our listening time. We love Underdog Records. And, we love Discogs, too. It’s so easy to keep up with what we have that way.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Spent the day in bed. Very happy I did, yes. I spent the day in bed as the workers stay enslaved. I spent the day in bed. I’m not my type, but I love my bed, and I recommend that you Stop watching the news! Because the news contrives to frighten you. To make you feel small and alone. To make you feel that your mind isn’t your own.” – “Spent the Day in Bed” (Manzur, Morrissey)